Double-flavor drink dispenser

ABSTRACT

A double-flavor drink dispenser includes two adjacent valve assemblies having adjacent outlets and adjacent concentric handle grips for simultaneous actuation by one hand or for individual actuation. Each valve assembly includes a valve core concentric with the valve core of the other valve assembly through which the product discharges axially. Each valve assembly can be manually disassembled for cleaning without use of tools.

United States Paten [72] lnventor Richard T. Cornelius Minneapolis, Minn. [21 Appl. No. 782,119 [22] Filed Dec. 9, 1968 [45] Patented June 29, 19711 [73] Assignee The Cornelius Company Anoka, Minn.

[54] DOUBLEFLAVOR DRINK DKSPENSER 3 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S.Cl ZZZ/129.1, 251/312, 222/144.5 [51] int; Cl B67d 5/56, F16k 5/00 [50] Field otSearch ZZZ/129.1, 145 144.5; 251/310, 311, 312

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,203,395 10/1916 Palmer 251/311 1,405,099 1/1922 Cooke 251/310 1,469,421 10/1923 Lenz 251/310 1,791,914 2/1931 Tomlinson.. 251/310 1,956,919 5/1934 Glomb .1 251/310 2,271,349 1/1949 Saurer 251/310 2,832,562 4/1958 Myers... 251/312 3,305,136 2/1967 Harris... ZZZ/144.5 X 3,464,591 9/1969 Nicola ZZZ/144.5 X

Primary Examiner-Even C. Blunk Assistant Examiner-H. S. Lane Attorney-Hill, Sherman, Meroni, Gross & Simpson DOUBLE-FLAVOR DRINK DISPENSER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to a dispensing valve arrangement enabling the dispensing ofa double-flavor drink where the two flavors are not mixed together.

2. Prior Art Heretofore, to serve a double-flavor drink, it has been known to partially fill a cup with one beverage, and then to fill the remainder of the.cup with another beverage. Where such beverages are viscous, as in the case of frozen carbonated beverages, there is produced or dispensed a serving having two layers of product. Only one of these layers can be seen at a time from above. I-Ieretofore, others have provided various types of mixing valves wherein the flavors have been blended together, either in the valve or as an incident to the discharge thereof.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The drink dispenser is constructed to enable the dispensing of two flavors in vertical side-by-side relation where the beverages are viscous, as in the case of frozen carbonated beverages. The dispenser includes two valve assemblies, one the reverse image of the other, each having a handle pivotable about a common axis and having concentric grips that can be simultaneously grasped by the hand, the valve assemblies in cluding concentric cores through which the product discharges axially in a horizontal and then downward direction. The valve assemblies can be actuated individually for single-flavor servings.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a drink dispenser by which two flavors of viscous.

beverage may be dispensed simultaneously without mixing the accompanying sheet of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the present invention is shown by way ofillustrative example.

ON THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a fragmentary front elevational view, partly in vertical cross section, of a double-flavor drink dispensing machine provided in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG. I, but with the valve assembly in an open position; and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary elevational view of the left side of the structure illustrated in FIG. 1.

AS SHOWN ON THE DRAWINGS This invention is particularly useful when embodied in a double-flavor drink dispenser such as illustrated fragmentarily in FIG. I and generally indicated by the numeral I0. The drink dispenser 10 includes a frame 11 to which there is secured as by screws 12 a pair of sources of beverages I3, 14 which preferably are of two different types. For example, one may have a red appearance as indicated at IS in a cup 16 and the other may have a green appearance as indicated at 17, there being an interface therebetween which types of beverage may comprise semifrozen carbonated beverages having cherry and lime flavors. The dispenser 10 further includes a pair of valve assemblies 18, I9 which are of identical construction except that the valve assembly I9 is the reverse image of the valve assembly I8. The valve assembly 18 has an outlet 20 which is immediately adjacent to an outlet 21 on the valve assembly 19 so as to enable the valve assemblies 18, 19 to discharge simultaneously into the cup I6. The valve assembly 18 has a handle grip 22 which is immediately adjacent to a handle 23 on the valve assembly I9. This construction enables the server to grasp the handles 22, 23 simultaneously with one hand. Yet, owing to the length of the respective handle grips 22, 23, either one can be grasped alone. Thus, the handle grips 22, 23 are concentric and axially spaced from each other. As is ex plained below, the handle grips 22, 23 are also pivotable about a common axis to effect opening and closing of the valve assemblies I8, 19.

The detailed construction of the valve assembly 18 is shown in cross section and as the construction for the valve assembly 19 is the same except for being a mirror image, a description which follows of the valve assembly 18 is equally applicable to the valve assembly 19, Each of the valve assemblies 18, I9 includes a body 24, a valve core 25, a handle arm 26 secured to the valve core 25, and a pair of O-rings 27, 28.

The body 24 has a cylindrical bore 29 having a horizontal axis about which the core 25 can be rocked 0r rotated. The body 24 has a spout 30 which forms the outlet 20, the spout 30 being downwardly extending and being directed to converge with the spout of the valve assembly I9. The upstream end of the spout 30 is one end of the bore 29 while the end of the bore 29 which is remote from the spout 30 opens directly to the atmosphere. This construction enables the valve core 25 to be removed and inserted horizontally without obstruction from the other valve assembly, such removal thus being in a direction opposite to that which liquid flows as it enters the spout 30. The valve core 25 is of course angularly movable about the horizontal axis of the bore 29, and the valve cores 25 of the valve assemblies 18, 19 are in this construction concentric with one another. The valve cores 25 at axially remote ends from each other support the handle arms 26 to which the handle grips 22, 23 are secured as by means of a bolt 31 and a nut 32.

Means are provided to define a flow passage through each of the valve assemblies 18, 19. As the body 24 is secured to a source of beverage, the flow passage begins in the body as best seen in FIG. 2 at the numeral 33 and then extends radially into the bore 29. At the bore 29, the flow passage continues radially as at 34 into the valve core 25 and then turns therein so that it then extends axially as at 35 out of the valve core immediately adjacent to the upstream end of the spout 30.

The O-ring 27 encircles the valve core and prevents the beverage under the action of inlet pressure from escaping along the bore 29 to its open end. The O-ring 28 encircles the valve core 25 and hence also encircles the flow passage portion 35 adjacent to the upstream end of the spout 30. The O- ring 28 similarly seals leakage from the inlet end of the flow passage, particularly when the valve core 25 is closed, thereby precluding leakage along the bore 29 to the upstream end of the spout 30. However, the O-ring 28, when the valve core is open, could be said to have a sealing function to preclude any reverse flow in the bore. For example, if cleaning solution were injected into the outlet 20, such solution could and would be sealed by the Oring 28.

The handle arm 26 is secured by a screw 36 which extends therethrough and into a metal insert 87 which is molded in the valve core 25.

Adjacent to the outer end of the bore 29, the body 24 is provided with a pair of stops 37, 38 against which the handle arm 26 may move to limiting positions. When the handle arm 26 is in the position shown in FIG. 3 against the stop 37, the valve assembly 18 is closed. When it is about halfway between the stops, a normal dispensing position will have been reached. When the handle arm 26 engages the stop 38, the valve assembly will be in the fully open position as illustrated inFlG. 2.

A locking pin 39 having a grasping knob 40 is provided with an O-ring 41. The pin 39 extends radially through the body into the bore 29 and is engageable with an end of the valve core 25 for retaining the same in position. The O-ring 41 provides a yieldable frictional resistance to manual removal.

Although either of the valve assemblies l8, 19 can be used to dispense a single type of beverage such as or l7, this invention is particularly suited for simultaneous dispensing of both beverage l5, 17 into the cup 16 by simultaneous actuation or operation of both of the valve assemblies l8, I). Where the beverages are relatively heavy or viscous, they will retain their identity and not mix to any significant extent.

Further, the construction described is particularly sanitary in nature and readily cleaned. Further, in the absence of a beverage or inlet pressure, the valve assemblies can be readily disassembled by hand for service, cleaning, inspection, and the like.

Although various minor modifications might be suggested by those versed in the art, it should be understood that I wish to embody within the scope of the patent warranted hereon, all such embodiments as reasonably and properly come within the cope of my contribution to the artv I claim:

I. A double-flavor drink dispenser comprising:

a. stationary rigid body means having a pair of spaced horizontal inlet passages respectively radially intersecting a pair of horizontal concentric cylindrical body bores intermediate the ends of said body bores, said body means having a pair of separate spouts each having a downwardly extending discharge passage therein, the two discharge passages being directed toward a common point, so as to deposit the flavors on each side of an interface in a receiver. the upstream ends of the discharge passages respectively being the adjacent ends of said horizontal cylindrical body bores;

b. a pair of cylindrical valve cores respectively disposed in said horizontal body bores for angular movement about their axis, said valve cores each having a flow passage extending radially thcreinto and respectively alignable with one of said horizontal inlet passages, and extending axially and horizontally out of said valve core to only one of said discharge passages, said valve cores being respectively slidably removable through the remote ends of said horizontal cylindrical body bores;

. a pair of arms respectively secured to said valve cores at those valve core ends which are axially remote from each other and projecting radially therefrom; and

d. a pair of handle grips respectively secured to said arms,

said grips projecting toward each other from said arms in parallel relation to said axis and being normally concentric with each other for beingjointly grasped.

2. A dispensing valve according to claim 1 including at least one manually removable locking pin extending radially through said body means beyond the cylindrical surface ofone of said valve cores and engageable with an end of such valve core.

3. A dispensing valve according to claim 2 including a resilient O-ring acting between said locking pin and said stationary body means to provide yieldable frictional resistance to removal ofsaid locking pin. 

1. A double-flavor drink dispenser comprising: a. stationary rigid body means having a pair of spaced horizontal inlet passages respectively radially intersecting a pair of horizontal concentric cylindrical body bores intermediate the ends of said body bores, said body means having a pair of separate spouts each having a downwardly extending discharge passage therein, the two discharge passages being directed toward a common point, so as to deposit the flavors on each side of an interface in a receiver, the upstream ends of the discharge passages respectively being the adjacent ends of said horizontal cylindrical body bores; b. a pair of cylindrical valve cores respectively disposed in said horizontal body bores for angular movement about their axis, said valve cores each having a flow passage extending radially thereinto and respectively alignable with one of said horizontal inlet passages, and extending axially and horizontally out of said valve core to only one of said discharge passages, said valve cores being respectively slidably removable through the remote ends of said horizontal cylindrical body bores; c. a pair of arms respectively secured to said valve cores at those valve core ends which are axially remote from each other and projecting radially therefrom; and d. a pair of handle grips respectively secured to said arms, said grips projecting toward each other from said arms in parallel relation to said axis and being normally concentric with each other for being jointly grasped.
 2. A dispensing valve according to claim 1 including at least one manually removable locking pin extending radially through said body means beyond the cylindrical surface of one of said valve cores and engageable with an end of such valve core.
 3. A dispensing valve according to claim 2 including a resilient O-ring acting between sAid locking pin and said stationary body means to provide yieldable frictional resistance to removal of said locking pin. 